Ufufunyane
by Elkpelt the Wolf-Chalk
Summary: ["I can still hear him, Fuli." Kion's voice is strained and for a moment she swears his eyes flash green in the lowlight. "I don't know how to keep Scar out, it's like he knows me better than I do. He says things and does things… he wants me to kill you all."] /One-Shot/ [Kion/Fuli] [Based on a fan theory over spirit possession and voodoo magic curses from Scar.]


**Author's Note: **This is loosely inspired by the details we know about season 3, will very quickly become non-canon but it was fun to explore. Plus I wanted to be shameless and write more Kion/Fuli but this time with _angst. _A companion piece to _Warm Body _and _Twitterpated _but you don't have to read those short stories to enjoy this one. For those who don't know, _Ufufunyane_ is a culture bound curse/spirit/demon possession. Considering the theme of this story I thought it fit as a title.

* * *

They were far from the Ndona PrideLands now, on a harrowing quest to find this so-called 'Tree of Life', it was something she'd never heard of in the years that made her lifetime. Fuli never left the safe borders of the kingdom but it was the only way now. Ushari had left a scar upon Kion's face, one forged from venom and an ancient curse made by evil Lions of the Past. He wouldn't say it aloud but she could see it in the way he walked. His legs shook occasionally as they bore his weight, flanks heaving when breath became too hard to swallow and eyes once alert were glassy, his time was short and who knew how long it would be until the combination of things took its toll.

_How long does Kion have left? _Fuli thought with a concerned look at her leader, bringing up the rear of the party. The group followed behind Kion, the line beginning with the lion and ending with Fuli. Kion's head was downcast a moment, he struggled to find his second wind. Kion wouldn't complain about anything, he was too selfless and strong for that. He marched on like the soldier he was, their fiercest warrior. _Will he even make it to the Tree of Life? We're chasing something that might not even exist._

She usually prided herself in independence but for once in her life she wished he would lean on them more. His burdens should be their burdens, he need not feel he fought this alone. Fuli felt like she didn't know this young lion anymore, since the traumatic event in the volcano he'd hidden inside himself, building walls that stood higher than Mount Kilimanjaro. He was facing monsters that Fuli and friends could not fight for him and it broke her seeing him lose day in and day out.

They all had scrapes and scars from their many dangerous life and death battles, Fuli didn't understand why that one mark over his right eye was enough to break him. The Fiercest was fierce no more and she didn't have the wisdom to bring it back. She was the Fastest for a reason and she lacked the skill to fix him. Helplessly she could only bade her time and pray to the ancient spirits Kion would make it out of this alive and back to his old self in the end.

How much of the old Kion was even left now, though? She would look him in the eye and staring back at her was a stranger, someone she didn't know anymore. He had already struck Bunga with his Roar once in a strange angry fit, something entirely out of his usual noble and good character. The Bravest had of course in good grace forgiven him, they were practically brothers and the best of friends but even slow witted Bunga saw there was something _different._

Bless Beshte, though he tried to offer comfort and be kind, the hippo was often ignored. Bunga's jokes fell flat and though Kion appreciated the effort he hadn't the heart to laugh no more. Ono being factual didn't help much, even if he meant no harm in his words. Fuli gave her support in her usual ways, standing closer to his side when they walked and offering a listening ear but it did nothing when her leader was not willing to meet her half way.

They were traveling through a snowy mountain pass, everything was white on all sides and stones colder than the ice itself stood like castle walls enclosed them on all sides. It was growing darker as night grew ever closer, blanketing the land in twilight. They couldn't risk going further under these conditions, even if the snow were falling in soft gentle flakes. A freak blizzard was coming if one judged the wind correctly, Fuli could feel it brush her fur and the way the gray clouds lingered overhead. The young lion stopped his strides to address the others, pointing his golden eyes on Fuli, Beshte, Ono and Bunga.

Fuli was thankful he stopped on his own, she knew he was pushing himself harder in his failed attempts to outrun his fears. She knew from experience you couldn't outrun everything, especially when it is yourself. She would have fought him to make camp soon as his second-in-command, arguments between the two were common place.

"We will rest here for the night," Kion announced, bright red mane getting mused up by the winter wind. "Ono! Fly ahead and see if you can spot some good coverage!"

The egret who was perched upon Beshte's head lifted his wing to salute Kion. "Affirmative!" He took flight into the air, flapping furiously when a strong breeze threatened to knock his feathers from the sky.

Bunga situated himself beneath Beshte's large girth to try retaining some warmth, palms shoved under his armpits as he fought a tremble. "Thank goodness! I think my toes are gonna fall off, Big B!"

Beshte spared Bunga a kind smile, shaking his head in amusement. "Ono will find us a nice place to bunker down soon, Little B. Don't worry." He cast his blue eyes towards Fuli who stood in all her lonesome, she wasn't paying attention to him but could feel him looking at her. "Fuli? You look kinda cold, you wanna stand by us for warmth?"

She focused on Kion who stood on a nearby rock, his back turned to the group and instead watching the sky for Ono's return. "Fuli?" Beshte tried again, this time the king cheetah turned to him after twitching a delicately striped ear at the sound of his warm baritone voice.

"I'm okay, Beshte." She smiled at him, it was waned but she wanted to try to prevent worry.

Bunga seemed to pick up on her apprehension, as he too looked towards Kion. His face fell, the usual happy go lucky mirth there melting away. "I'm worried about him too, Fuli."

Beshte nodded his large head in agreement, keeping his voice low so the lion couldn't hear them talking. "We all are, little guy. Kion will be okay… you said it yourself, he's Kion. If anyone can do it, its him."

Bunga perked a little at the encouragement, "Yeah, you're right Beshte. Kion will be okay."

Fuli looked away and wished she could share the sentiment. These days, it seemed tireless and hope was lacking, he grew weaker with every sunset that passed. She did not know what would be worse in terms of a fate for her friend, a puppet of Scar or simply the Circle of his life coming to a premature close, both left bitterness on her tongue. She began to walk away, snow covering her calloused paws.

"I'm going to check on him," Fuli told her friends, not giving them a glance as she worried her strong facade would slip if it did. She didn't want them to pick up on her own fears anymore than they already did, needing to be there was a support beam. Kion depended on her to keep things grounded when he couldn't. Ignoring the chill that settled in her skin, she pressed on until she was behind the Fiercest. "You should get out of the cold, Kion."

He was still as a statue, golden eyes watching the gray sky for the Keenest to return. "It's not that cold, Fuli." For a moment, he turned around to give her a reassuring smile. She saw the old Kion there for that second, a heartbeat and quickly as he came the young lion was gone. Kion directed his focus away, squaring his shoulders as he fought off a shiver. "Ono should be back soon."

"You don't need to pretend around us," she told him in a low voice, reminding Kion in her stern voice that he had the rest of them backing him up. He said nothing and that irritated her, causing her to bristle her spotted fur like a spiky thistle bush. "_Kion." _

She could see part of his profile though all that could be properly in sight was part of his eye, cheek and jawline. He tightened his lips, muscles taut like a bowstring ready to fire. Nothing came, no release and it wasn't healthy for him to bottle such feelings inside like he was. Fuli didn't want to cause a scene but Spirits above he was making this hard. "Let me in, Kion."

"I'm going on ahead to see if I can find Ono, you stay here." Kion brushed her words off, Fuli was no bothersome fly and she clenched her teeth at his audacity. He climbed down from his perch, only looking at her once to make sure the cheetah was going to remain put where he ordered.

Fuli wanted to challenge him but the worried eyes of Beshte and Bunga made her hold her tongue. "Sure," she said in a flat voice, turning her back on him to return to her other male team mates.

His footfalls were swallowed by the snow and Fuli sighed deeply, listless. She could feel their questions just by how they looked at her but Fuli only shook her head. She hadn't the energy nor the patience to humor them right now. Instead she took a seat nearby Beshte to protect herself from the worst of the cold snowy wind. The hippo shared a sad glance with Bunga before their attention turned to the spot Kion was once standing. Only his indentation upon the disturbed snow showed he'd been there.

Eventually after several long minutes, they saw a familiar speck in the sky that drew closer and closer until Ono finally stood before them, shaking his feathers out with a tremble. "Sorry, it's really pushy up there with the wind. Should have been common knowledge really but…" Fuli arched her brows with a pointed stare, making him hurry his speech. "I found a series of tall boulders with a cave not far from here, Kion is waiting for us there. Let's go."

The trip was shorter than Fuli expected it to be, considering the treacherous mountain pass and slick black ice hidden beneath patches of fluffy white snow. She followed Ono at the front, taking the lead in the absence of Kion. Beshte was weary of his footing and Fuli was grateful they made it here without getting crushed by a dislodged hippopotamus along the way.

Boulders of many great sizes dotted the chasm, Fuli could feel the wind die down as it was buffeted by the massive stones. Further up ahead and carved into the mountains itself was the mouth of a cave, impressive stalagmites hung from it's open maws like dripping fangs.

"Where's Kion?" Fuli instantly asked, eyeing Ono as the egret perched himself upon Beshte.

He extended his long neck to gesture with his beak and head. "He's inside the cave," Ono told her with a wave of his feathery wing.

"He's got the right idea," Bunga exclaimed, huddled close against Beshte to steal away precious heat from his bigger body. "It's _freezing!"_

"We better not keep Kion waiting, follow my lead guys," the king cheetah told them, looking over her shoulder.

She moved with long strides, feeling the wet slush of cold snow fade away into smooth stone. It chilled her bones but without the presence of the searing wind and blizzardy ground it proved much better than being out there. Once inside, she saw the cave had other smaller areas within it leading deeper into its systems, the tunnels fed into intimidating darkness. Water droplets from sharp stones hanging overhead plopped onto her head, making her shake it off with a childish glare.

"Seriously?" Could she not ever be warm and dry, or was there a law against that? Fuli ran a light colored paw over her head to smooth out the moisture from the fur. She swept her gaze around the cave to inspect the area, she noticed something was missing.

There was still no sign of Kion. It made Fuli paranoid and mentally she was silently berating herself for letting him win their little quarrel back out there. Ono said he would meet them here, so why wasn't he at the doorstep greeting their arrival? They couldn't afford separation in No Lion's Land like this. However, a loud frustrated roar broke the silence of the cave, shaking it to its very core. Fuli's ears pushed forward in shock, the king cheetah whirling to look at her equally spooked and surprised friends. Three pairs of wide moony eyes met hers.

"What in the PrideLands?" Fuli braced her weight when another vibration threatened to send her to the ground. Her fur ruffled in surprise, the noise was deafening. She had to resist covering her sensitive ears at the echo it gave thanks to the tall ceiling of the cavern.

"Kion is using the Roar, why is he doing that here of all places?" Ono preened his white feathers worriedly.

Beshte glanced between all his friends, frowning and shot a frightened look up at the roof above them. The dripping stalagmites made him nervous. "All this shaking could cause a cave in guys."

"Kion might be in danger!" Bunga exclaimed, his clawed forepaws turning into determined fists. "He can't be far from here!"

"We gotta find him," Fuli urgently insisted, green eyes flickered across each of the Lion Guard from Keenest, to Strongest and finally Bravest. "Let's buddy up. Ono, you are with me. Bunga and Beshte, you two stick together… and Bunga for Spirits sake don't do anything stupid."

"Affirmative!"

"Got it!"

"No promises!"

"Until the PrideLands end…!" Fuli began the phrase ingrained into her mind.

"...Lion Guard defend!" Ono, Bunga and Beshte all cried out, the battle cry infusing bravery.

The group quickly sped off into the direction the roar came from, feeling it more so than hearing. Ono flew on ahead, using those amazing eyes of his to see through the inky black darkness. Fuli moved like a streak after him, trusting his guidance. Another Roar shook the caverns, Fuli slammed her heels into the ground to avoid tripping over her own four feet. She looked at Ono, the Keenest whirling about in the air frantically.

"Oh no!" Ono crowed in a panicked fashion. "Turn around everyone!"

"Ono? What is—" She was cut off by a vibration not even a second later, Fuli seeing something hurtling down towards her from the roof of the tunnel. Not just one something but many _many _somethings, stalagmites and massive stones flung their way down at alarming speed. "Scatter!" Fuli screeched to her teammates, urging them to break apart from the party.

Beshte swerved his mighty weight best he could, Bunga leaping onto his back. The honey badger held his hands over his head as it rained debris. Ono was mostly lost in the chaos and Fuli tried to find his form amongst it all. The collapsing rocks would force him to ground. A great crack broke the stoney floor. Fuli skidded on her haunches at the sheer size of the divide, the cheetah clinging to the ledge when she nearly fell inside it.

She heard someone yell her name, a warning to get moving. Even with her speed, the split moment she had was narrow. At the same time everything felt horrifyingly slow as she avoided being crushed to death. She was forced in an opposite direction as a boulder slammed its way in front of her. Fuli heaved for breath as the adrenaline ran its course. In the mayhem she found herself sandwiched between a literal rock and a hard place, with the Lion Guard stuck on one side and Fuli on the other.

The dust began to settle and Fuli took the time to survey the situation, the cheetah looking herself over for any cuts and bruises. Thankfully she wasn't injured. They couldn't afford a lame leg this far out from the Ndona PrideLands. "Is everyone alright?" Fuli called out, straining her ears for her friends' voices. There were some muffled groans of pain, mostly dismayed that their only way towards Kion was now blocked off.

"Yeah, we're all good over here. Are you okay, Fuli?" Beshte's concerned voice reached her first.

"I'm fine, shaken but not stirred. Damn, looks like we're separated." Fuli paced about the length of the newly formed wall, frowning. "Think you can push those boulders aside, Beshte?"

"I can try but it could take awhile."

_We don't have time to kill, _Fuli thought, gnawing her lower lip. "I'm going on ahead, you guys might be stuck but I'm not."

"That might not be such a good idea," she heard Ono say, hesitence clear in his words. "Who knows what could be going on, you'll need back up incase there's a fight."

"Kion might need back up _now. _If I can help him, I'm going to do it." Fuli scrunched her brows, keeping adamant that she would not budge. Silence greeted her statement before Bunga piped up his agreement from where he stood behind the wall with the others.

"Fuli's right, Kion needs help." Fuli began to turn away, only stopping when Bunga again spoke. "Please make sure he's ok, Fuli."

"I will Bunga, I promise. For now, try breaking a path through the rocks. If that fails… Ono, keep an eye out for me and Kion. We will try to find a way back to you on our own." Fuli broke into a sprint down the tunnel, relieved that most of the damage had been from behind rather than ahead. She had a clear cut path to where Kion's roar had sounded.

She found him crouched on the cave floor, like he'd carried something heavy and finally his knees gave out. She was thankful he was here but now the issue was getting back to their friends who were most definitely worried sick from the cave in. Hopefully Beshte could clear a path for she and Kion.

"Kion!" Fuli began to descend her way down towards him from the ledge she stood on but Kion whirled around to face her.

A snarl tore out of his muzzle, the sheer amount of malice there stunned her. His eyes were dilated, sharp white teeth bared with saliva dripping at the corner of his lips. He looked manic. "_Stay back!" _The words came out with a terrible bite to them, Fuli almost felt as if he were sinking his fangs into her at how they sounded. "_Don't come near him!"_

It took effort to turn himself away from her and suddenly a Roar rippled out of him, loud as thunder and shook the earth. "_Stop resisting! No! Get out of my head! __**I'm not**_ _**you!" **_he was growling like a rabid animal, pacing and scratching against the stone floor with his claws. Fuli crouched as she recovered from the trembling his roar had provided. All the ruckus caused parts of the roof to cave in, revealing bits of moonlight pushing through its cracks.

Fuli was at a loss of what to do to help him, instead all she could do was watch as he fought a struggle she couldn't even imagine. He continued on and on like this, lost and tormented. His body trembled like a leaf buffeted by wind, mouth open and panting. It seemed he reigned in control but he was weakening, Fuli chose to ignore his demand and tried to hurry to be at his side. Kion didn't face her, instead he shrunk away and hurried his way into the shadows at a rapid sprint, only slowing like a wounded animal once exhaustion caught up to him once more.

He fell onto his haunches, shying further from her the more he heard her footsteps approaching. "Stop," he rasped, "Don't come any closer. _Please."_

"Are you crazy? What is going on Kion? Why did you use the Roar?" Fuli knew she should have spaced her questions but instead they all tumbled out at once.

"I didn't use the Roar, he did." Fuli need not be told who _he _was, it left a chill in her spine. Kion chanced a look behind him, only a split second before he looked away. He got to his paws again, preparing to walk away and leave her behind. "You shouldn't have followed me, go back to the others." He hid far into the stoney cave, far from reach.

"Kion, don't turn your back on me!" Fuli couldn't help the crack in her voice as she said the words, the strength of her belief vibrating her very bones. It hurt her to see him break so much, when not that long ago he was so happy and full of life. Now, he was a shell of that former self, a hallowed husk masquerading as the successor to a great legacy.

"Maybe you shouldn't turn your back on me." He didn't even look at her, only lowered his head further passed his shoulders. The shadows cascaded across his face in strips, faint moonlight reminding her he was not a mirage in the darkness but in fact a living breathing creature.

"This isn't you, Kion." She knew Kion, _knows _Kion. Whoever this pretender is, is not the lion she swore loyalty to, the lion who stole her first kiss and made her feel things she never thought possible. He was silent for a long moment, his breathing echoed off the walls and the sound leaves goose flesh behind in its wake on Fuli. "Whatever _he _is making you do is not you."

"I can still hear him, Fuli." Kion's voice is strained and for a moment she swears his eyes flash green in the lowlight. "I don't know how to keep Scar out, it's like he knows me better than I do. He says things and does things… he wants me to kill you all."

"Kion…"

"I'm _not _evil," he told her in a firm way but it trembles when he says it twice, thrice more… like a chant. "I… you guys can't help me. I don't know what Ushari did to me…" His brows furrowed close to his troubled face. "I don't want to use the Roar anymore, it lets the Great Lions of the Past help me but the bad ones also get in… Scar knows he can use it to control me. He's _making _me use it."

A feeling of pure dread pools in her belly. Scar was trying to possess him, use his body as a host to return to mortal flesh. "He won't control you," Fuli murmured, voice stern and solid despite its softness. Somehow the lower level makes her sound loudest of all. "You're stronger than him, Kion. You've held on this long."

"But how much longer can I do it? Fuli, you don't get it. It's not a matter of 'will I' anymore, its 'when I'. I'm going to hurt someone and it's going to be someone I love." His gaze locked itself upon her eyes, stealing her breath away and Fuli couldn't help but feel her heart clench at the weight that one word held. _Love._

They never really openly implored how the other felt for each other. Fuli knew there was _something _lingered between them, one would need to be blind or stupid to miss the obvious fact. There was a tension that threatened to break, the question was when. She could remember back to an earlier point of their newly discovered adolescence, were like a dry season brush fire lightning had finally struck between them. She could still feel the burn against her nose of where he'd touched her.

It gave Fuli the nerve she needed to lay the weight upon Kion, the Fastest daring to approach him though Kion flinched. She might be fire but Kion needed the ice he shrouded himself in to melt. "You listen to me right now, Kion. You're not Scar, you'll never be Scar because you're Kion. Kion doesn't do bad things, he knows better. I know you know that so please, believe in yourself like we believe in you."

She paused and with a deep breath, added. "_Like how __**I **__believe in you."_

The silence was deafening and she pressed on, soon coming to stand face-to-face with him. His eyes bore into hers, digging so deep she could feel him in her very soul. Though they were shrouded in mostly stark shadow, she could see his face like it was a clear day. Their noses practically touched, his breath fanning her face. One step closer and she could recapture that day in early spring. Her eyes closed at the thought, longing for those simpler days before such a curse forced its way into Kion.

She felt warmth against her muzzle and blinking slowly, he was there pressed against her maw. The gesture was soft and intimate, something different from what she ever felt from him before. It wasn't the same as that first kiss at the watering hole that been hurried and awkward.

His nose was very cold and Fuli guessed she was no better for a shiver rippled down his spine. That wouldn't do, she decided. She would warm him up. She returned the soft pressure, face leaning into him to show her care, affection and unwavering support. That she was _here _and nothing would take her from his side.

He pulled away, a fraction of an inch of space and she felt the words more so than heard them. Her heart rate was loud between her ears and longingly she looked at his golden eyes, they were gentle and familiar again.

"I'll fight him until there's nothing left of me, Fuli." His vow was firm, Kion trying to show her his faith was not yet entirely broken. "But… Fuli… should he overpower me I want you to—"

She cut him off by leaning back into him, muzzles once again meshing together. This time it was rough and sloppy. A passionate emotion swelled inside her heart, starting as a spark until a raging inferno blazed between them. "I don't want to hear it," she growled against him. "We are going to lift the curse from you. Nothing will happen, Kion."

His eyes were sad, though his belief in her was strong he still carried with him the unadulterated truth that something could happen. It _had _happened before already, in smaller doses but the scar was leaving more than its obvious physical remark upon his golden face. It ate away from him inside, confusing his thoughts for the thoughts of someone else. Kion didn't know where he began and where he ended anymore. It scared Fuli but for now she pushed it away to be there for him.

He needed support for soon he would be too weak to fight it on his own. Kion sighed, as if prepared to fight her further on the demons he knew intimately but instead he reached a paw out to touch her forearm. Tugging her closer, he again nuzzled his way against the curve of her muzzle. Mouth to mouth and nose to nose, the leader let himself be led by her.

She would protect him, even if that meant from himself. Fuli couldn't fight off ancient evil spells and malevolent forces from the dead but she could share with him her heart. Love was a universal shield against all who wish to bring suffering. Hopefully… that would be enough to hold him strong before it became too late.


End file.
